Computing device and method for generating a timing signal for a printing device

Abstract

A computing device for a printing device may include a first transducer for generating a first clock frequency and a second transducer for generating a second clock frequency. The computing device may determine the timing signal for clocking the printing operation of the printing device on the basis of the first clock frequency and/or on the basis of the second clock frequency, in particular to increase the uniformity of the timing signal and/or in order to enable a dynamic adaptation of the timing signal to a changing property of the printing device and/or of the recording medium to be printed to.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A computing device for determining a timing signal for a printer configured to print to a recording medium, the computing device comprising:
 an interface; and 
 processing circuitry that is configured to: 
 determine a first clock frequency based on a signal received via the interface from a first transducer driven by the recording medium or a transport device configured to drive the recording medium; 
 determine a second clock frequency based on a signal received via the interface from a second transducer driven by the recording medium or the transport device, wherein the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency respectively comprise a sequence of clock frequency pulses; and 
 generate the timing signal based on the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency, 
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the timing signal based on the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency, the timing signal respectively comprising precisely one corresponding timing signal pulse for each clock frequency pulse of the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency, 
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the timing signal such that an extent of temporal fluctuations of the sequence of timing signal pulses is less than a corresponding extent of temporal fluctuations of clock frequency pulses of the first clock frequency and of the second clock frequency which is achieved via an averaging and/or via another manner of combination of the first clock frequency pulse and of the second clock frequency pulse, and 
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, based on parameter values for one or more properties of the printer and/or of the recording medium: induce the first transducer to generate the first clock frequency, and induce the second transducer to generate the second clock frequency. 
 
     
     
       2. The computing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more properties include:
 a diameter of a rotating roller driven by the recording medium or the transport device, the rotating roller being arranged at the first transducer and/or at the second transducer; 
 a thickness of the recording medium; and/or 
 a shrinkage or expansion behavior of the recording medium during a printing operation of the printer. 
 
     
     
       3. The computing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
 determine whether to modify the parameter value of at least one of the properties of the printer and/or of the recording medium from a previous parameter value to a new parameter value during the printing operation of the printing device; and 
 in response to the parameter value being modified: 
 the timing signal being generated based on the first clock frequency generated by the first transducer using the previous parameter value; 
 the timing signal not being generated based on the second clock frequency; and 
 the second transducer generating the second clock frequency using the new parameter value. 
 
     
     
       4. The computing device according to  claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, at a change point in time at which the parameter value of the at least one property of the printing device and/or of the recording medium is changed from the previous parameter value to the new parameter value, generate the timing signal based on the second clock frequency generated by the second transducer using the new parameter value, the timing signal not being generated based on the first clock frequency. 
     
     
       5. The computing device according to  claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to, at or after the change point in time:
 cause the first transducer generates the first clock frequency using the new parameter value; and 
 following this, generate the timing signal based on the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency. 
 
     
     
       6. The computing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine a line timing based on the timing signal, the line timing being indicative of a time interval for the printing of directly successive lines of a print image on the recording medium. 
     
     
       7. The computing device according to  claim 6 , wherein the timing signal is a whole-number multiple of the line timing. 
     
     
       8. The computing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are structurally identical. 
     
     
       9. The computing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are respectively arranged at a rotating roller of the printer that is driven by the recording medium. 
     
     
       10. The computing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are arranged at different rotating rollers of the printer. 
     
     
       11. The computing device according to  claim 10 , wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are arranged at a rotating roller at an input of a print group of the printer and at a rotating roller at an output of the print group of the printer. 
     
     
       12. The computing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first transducer and the second transducer are arranged at different ends of a same rotating roller of the printer. 
     
     
       13. The computing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the recording medium is a web or sheet. 
     
     
       14. A method for determining a timing signal for a printer configured to print to a recording medium, the method comprising:
 determining a first clock frequency generated by a first transducer driven by the recording medium; 
 determining a second clock frequency generated by a second transducer driven by the recording medium, wherein the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency respectively comprise a sequence of clock frequency pulses; and 
 generating the timing signal based on the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency, 
 wherein the timing signal is generated based on the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency, the timing signal respectively comprising precisely one corresponding timing signal pulse for each clock frequency pulse of the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency, 
 wherein the timing signal is determined such that an extent of temporal fluctuations of the sequence of timing signal pulses is less than a corresponding extent of temporal fluctuations of clock frequency pulses of the first clock frequency and of the second clock frequency which is achieved via an averaging and/or via another manner of combination of the first clock frequency pulse and of the second clock frequency pulse, and 
 wherein, based on parameter values for one or more properties of the printer and/or of the recording medium, the first transducer is induced to generate the first clock frequency, and the second transducer is induced to generate the second clock frequency. 
 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, that when executed, instructs a processor to perform the method of  claim 14 .